By Mark Tennis, Ronnie Flores & Steve Brand

This week's new listings follow below. After games of Saturday, Nov. 15. Previous ranking in parentheses.

This year, since we now have the CIF Open Division bowl game that will match the highest ranked Northern California team vs. the highest ranked from Southern California, we will place teams according to the CIF's split of north and south, which is to put Central Section schools in the south. We maintain that due to population factors that the Central Section should be in the north and have always split teams in our rankings that way. This year, however, because of the bowl game, the NorCal and SoCal overall rankings obviously have to be done according to the CIF's boundaries.

Northern California Overall Top 15
(CIF North Open Division)

1. (1) De La Salle (Concord) 9-1
2. (2) Oak Grove (San Jose) 10-0
3. (3) Grant (Sacramento) 9-0
4. (5) Bellarmine (San Jose) 9-1
5. (6) Cardinal Newman (Santa Rosa) 10-0
6. (7) Junipero Serra (San Mateo) 7-3
7. (4) Monte Vista (Danville) 8-2
8. (8) Pittsburg 9-1
9. (9) Foothill (Pleasanton) 8-2
10. (10) Merced 9-1
11. (11) Casa Roble (Orangevale) 10-0
12. (12) Palma (Salinas) 8-2
13. (13) Central Catholic (Modesto) 9-1
14. (14) St. Mary's (Stockton) 8-2
15. (15) North Salinas (Salinas) 9-1

Rundown: Previous No. 4 Monte Vista slipped into turnover mode for its regular season final against arch-rival San Ramon Valley and went down to a 26-7 defeat. The result, though, didn't have too much impact on the rankings or on Monte Vista getting the No. 2 seed behind De La Salle in the CIF North Coast Section Division I playoffs. This is because the Mustangs already own quality wins over both Pittsburg and Foothill of Pleasanton and California of San Ramon. They may have lost to the Wolves, but they can't drop lower than two other teams they have beaten. It's also too bad that no other NorCal top 15 teams from last week lost because that prevented SRV from being ranked itself. Kudos still should go out to head coach Dave Kravitz, QB Joe Southwick and the rest of the Wolves for their big win. The CIF NorCal open division slot is still firmly De La Salle's with a big matchup this week looming in the Sac-Joaquin Section for No. 3 Grant against previously state-ranked Granite Bay. The Pacers still probably need Oak Grove to lose in the CCS open division playoffs to get into the bowl games. If Granite Bay wins, then one-loss teams like Bellarmine will have a much greater chance of getting a bowl bid.

Southern California Overall Top 20
(CIF South Open Division)

1. (1)   Poly (Long Beach) 10-0
2. (2)   Centennial (Corona) 10-0
3. (5)   Notre Dame (Sherman Oaks) 10-0
4. (4)   St. Bonaventure (Ventura) 9-1
5. (6)   Tesoro (Las Flores) 10-0
6. (7)   Oaks Christian (Westlake Village) 10-0
7. (10) Cathedral Catholic (San Diego) 10-0
8. (8)   Chaparral (Temecula) 9-1
9. (12) Lutheran (Orange) 9-2
10. (13) A.B. Miller (Fontana) 10-0
11. (3)   Oceanside 9-0-1
12. (11) Servite (Anaheim) 7-3
13. (17) Mission Viejo 9-1
14. (18) Moorpark 9-1
15. (9)   Mater Dei (Santa Ana) 7-3
16. (19) Rancho Verde (Moreno Valley) 10-0
17. (20) Redlands East Valley (Redlands) 9-1
18.  (nr) Alemany (Mission Hills) 9-1
19.  (nr) Rancho Cucamonga 9-0-1
20.  (nr) Narbonne (Harbor City) 9-1

Rundown: Notre Dame of Sherman Oaks replaces defending CIF Div. II state champion Oceanside in the No. 3 spot after the Pirates played to a tie in their last regular season game. The 33-33 tie against Ramona hurt Oceanside's chances to make a second consecutive Div. II title game appearance and all but killed its outside chance to appear in the open division game. There is a good chance at least one CIF Southern Section contender (Long Beach Poly, Tesoro, Centennial, Oaks Christian, etc.) will
finish as an undefeated champion, not to mention No. 7 Cathedral Catholic in the San Diego Section Div. III playoffs. St. Bonaventure is the only top-ranked club with a loss (by just five points to top-ranked Long Beach Poly) and it looks like fast-rising Moorpark is a viable opponent for the Seraphs in the CIFSS Northern Division title game so even with that loss they would have a strong resume. Moorpark's only regular season setback was to Notre Dame by three points. It will be real interesting in the Golden Knights defeat Long Beach Poly on their way to the CIFSS Pac-Five Division title and No. 2 Centennial of Corona wins the Inland Division title as expected. Will it be enough to unseat the Huskies? The Huskies' playoff division is not as tough overall, but they've been ranked ahead of Notre Dame the entire season so it would be an interesting ratings scenario to say the least.

Comments or corrections? Email mark@studentsports.com and be sure to leave a comment so others can check out what you have to say. 

(Compiled by Mark Tennis, Ronnie Flores, Steve Brand, Harold Abend & Paul Muyskens; After games of Saturday, Nov. 15; Previous ranking in parentheses; These rankings are done regardless of CIF enrollment divisions; Check back Tuesday for our exclusive CIF Bowl Game ratings and our NorCal-SoCal regional rankings.)

1. (1) Poly (Long Beach) 10-0
For the second straight year, the Jackrabbits are entering the rugged CIF Southern Section Pac-Five Division playoffs as the top seed. This time, they also are defending champion and are looking to seal up their first appearance in the CIF State Championship Bowl Games. Head coach Raul Lara's team closed the regular season with a 29-13 victory over Jordan of Long Beach as Melvin Richardson scored on a 61-yard run on the first play from scrimmage and ended with eight carries for 149 yards and three TDs. Julian Camper's diving, finger-tip grab of a 17-yard pass from Morgan Fennell for a touchdown was another highlight. Poly, which opens the playoffs with a Bishop Amat club that was state ranked for majority of the regular season, has now made the playoffs for 29 consecutive seasons and the only reason they didn't make the post-season in 1979 was forfeits. Poly along with La Mirada of the Suburban League, tied the reported state record for most consecutive playoff appearances set by Dos Palos of the Central Section, which failed to make the playoffs for the first time since 1978 with a 2-8 record.

2. (2) Centennial (Corona) 10-0
Arthur Burns was smokin' hot with 27 carries for 188 yards and three TDs as the Huskies defeated Norco, 31-7, to put the finishing touches on a perfect run through the Big VIII League. The Cougars have traditionally been a tough foe for Centennial over the years, but this time head coach Matt Logan's team was just too good on both sides of the ball. Taylor Martinez added 150 yards through the air, including a 50-yard TD pass to Ricky Marvray. The Huskies will be setting out to win their second straight CIF Southern Section Inland Division title with a first-round game against Yucaipa, the Citrus Belt League's No. 4 representative who checks in with a 5-5 record.

3. (3) De La Salle (Concord) 9-1
It could be the fact that the Spartans already had locked up their league title, but their last regular season game of the year was certainly nip-and-tuck to the very end. California of San Ramon, which has played everyone it has faced tough, nearly pulled out an upset before De La Salle prevailed, 21-14. With the score tied at 14-14 midway through the fourth quarter, the Spartans went ahead on a seven-yard TD run by Khyri Knowles and then prevented the Grizzlies from scoring again. Kylan Butler led DLS with 18 carries for 185 yards and two TDs. The win enabled the Spartans to earn the top seed for the CIF North Coast Section Division I playoffs. De La Salle, which has made the playoffs 27 consecutive seasons and won 16 consecutive North Coast Section titles, has a first-round bye and will play either Berkeley or Deer Valley of Antioch on Nov. 28 or Nov. 29.

4. (6) Notre Dame (Sherman Oaks) 10-0
This is a perfect week to elevate the Knights up to No. 4 in the state and higher in the FAB 50 national rankings as well. They just completed an extremely impressive run of wins against Serra League opponents and there's no doubt if they do play No. 1 Long Beach Poly in the CIF Pac-Five Division final that it would be a great game. Head coach Kevin Rooney's team iced the league title after defeating Bishop Amat, 56-21. Trailing 7-0 early in the game, the Knights didn't play from behind for long as Ryan Kasdorf connected with Chris McNeil for a 10-yard touchdown pass and then McNeil gave them the lead with an interception return for six points. Kasdorf was nearly perfect throwing the ball, as he completed 17 of 20 passes for 271 yards and two touchdowns and finished the regular season with 2,931 yards and 32 touchdowns. McNeill finished with nine catches for 147 yards and three touchdowns. Notre Dame earned the No. 2 seed in the CIFSS Pac-Five playoffs behind Poly and will now play host to Compton in the opening round. The Tarbabes are tough, but pollsters and fans alike already are salivating at the possibility of a Notre Dame-Orange Lutheran quarterfinal match up.

5. (5) St. Bonaventure (Ventura) 9-1
The Seraphs scored at least 50 points for the third week in a row while picking up their first shutout of the year as they defeated San Marcos of Santa Barbara, 50-0. Everyone saw action in the regular season finale, including sophomore backup signal caller Tieler Souza, who ran for three touchdowns including one from 84 yards out. As a team, the Seraphs rushed for 321 yards while their defense held San Marcos to just 39 yards on 23 carries. With the victory, coach Todd Therrien's club captured its 13th consecutive league title, including every Channel League title since joining the loop during the 2002 season. The top seed in the Northern Division playoffs, the Seraphs will open up with a game against 7-3 Newbury Park.

6. (7) Oak Grove (San Jose) 10-0
An easy 56-0 romp past Westmont of Campbell wrapped up the regular season for the Eagles, which is their largest win of the season. Allen Chapman got the Eagles on the scoreboard first with a 92-yard interception return and he followed it up with a one-yard touchdown run for his second of three touchdowns on the night. Omari Carr, despite only rushing nine times, still scampered for 120 yards and one score. Jabari Carr found the end zone back-to-back, as he scored on a 61-yard catch and run and on a 59-yard punt return. Oak Grove, which has won 22 consecutive games, will be the top seed in the CCS open division playoffs that start Friday night as host to dangerous Palma of Salinas. It's been a long time since the Eagles have had to play much in the second half while Palma is a team used to playing in close games in the fourth quarter. This could be an upset special among the state's top-ranked clubs but Oak Grove won't take the visitors lightly.

7. (8) Grant (Sacramento) 10-0
It would of been a tough task for the Pacers to top their 89-0 win from the previous week but they did defeat a solid Burbank team 35-13. Junior Devontae Butler led the way for the Pacers as he rushed for 217 yards and scored four touchdowns. Grant will open the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section Div. II playoffs at home against 9-1 Granite Bay. This was a much-anticipated potential title game match up until three weeks ago when Granite Bay was upset in a one-point loss to Roseville. Granite Bay also is the defending champion in this division and it's probably the best first-round playoff game in Northern California.

8. (9) Tesoro (Las Flores) 10-0
All eyes will be on the Titans' first-round game in the CIF Southern Section Pac-Five Division playoffs since they are matched up with 8-2 Los Alamitos. This, of course, means it will be a father-son showdown between head coach Brian Barnes of Tesoro and his father, John Barnes of Los Alamitos, the winningest head coach in Orange County history. The Titans completed their perfect regular season with a 56-26 demolition of Dana Hills of Dana Point. QB Robbie Picazo hit on 18 of 23 passes for 251 yards and three TDs while RB Zach Mitchell rushed for 118 yards on 19 carries and scored twice. The defense also chipped in with points as Trevor Weis went 60 yards for six points on an interception return while Brett Gudim went 35 yards to the end zone on another interception. Earlier in the season, coach John Barnes jokingly said his wife would never forgive him if he beat Brian's team and if Los Al's loses you can bet father will help his son prepare for a probably match up in the quarterfinals with Mater Dei of Santa Ana.

9. (10) Oaks Christian (Westlake Village) 10-0
The Lions took advantage of great starting field position almost all game long to score a season-high 62 points in a 62-8 rout of Ojai Nordhoff. Nate Montana connected with Brian Owusu for a 71-yard touchdown early on, setting the tone for Nordhoff to go for it on every fourth down opportunity it had. The strategy backfired as the Lions scored on five drives of less than 35 yards, including two interceptions returned for touchdowns. Jordan Morrison, starting in place of the injured Malcolm Jones, rushed for 95 yards and scored four touchdowns. Oaks Christian will open postseason action against a South of Torrance squad that was just 5-5 in the regular season. The Lions are gunning for their sixth straight Southern Section title and could break a section record they currently hold with Paraclete of Lancaster, which won five consecutive titles between 1997 and 2001.

10. (12) Bellarmine (San Jose) 9-1
Usua Amanam and the Bells are back in the top 10 after finishing the regular season with a 42-7 win over St. Francis of Mountain View. Amanam carried the ball just seven times, but rushed for 118 yards and scored the first two touchdowns of the game on a 35-yard run and a 40-yard punt return. With the two scores, he set a new league record with 21 touchdowns and will enter postseason play with 26 touchdowns. The Bells are seeded third and will open up what should be a challenging road in the Central Coast Section Open Division playoffs against 9-1 Milpitas.

11. (17) Cathedral Catholic (San Diego) 10-0
Cathedral Catholic erupted for 35 points in the third quarter to put up a season-high point total in a 70-37 win over Scripps Ranch of San Diego. The Dons were leading 28-21 at halftime before Josh Jacko returned the second half kickoff 96 yards for a touchdown and senior running back Tyler Gaffney followed with three touchdown runs of 51, four and 41 yards. Gaffney finished with 26 carries for 225 yards and seven touchdowns. He scored four first-half touchdowns on runs of five, 12, one and one yards and scored 42 regular season touchdowns. Cathedral Catholic, the Eastern League champions, was awarded the No. 1 seed in the CIF San Diego Section Div. III playoffs and have a first-round bye. The Dons, who are now the section's top-ranked club after Oceanside played to a tie last week, will play Nov. 28 against the Point Loma-Castle Park winner and like the Pirates will now root for Long Beach Poly to win the CIFSS Pac-Five Division playoffs.

12. (13) Chaparral (Temecula) 9-1
With their 35-3 win over cross-town Great Oak this past Friday, the Pumas enter the Inland Division playoffs as the No. 3 seed, having outscored their last two opponents 88-3 en route to the Southwestern League title. QB Mitch Glasmann tossed TDs of 65 and seven yards and ran one in from six yards out while running back Jonathan Diaz rushed for 182 yards on just 15 carries, scoring twice as Chaparral gained one spot in the rankings without having to break much of a sweat. This is a school that has marched to the division finals and semifinals the last two years, so the Pumas know they have to stay focused against Vista Del Lago of Moreno Valley, which qualified as the No. 4 team from the Inland Valley League. The win over Great Oak was Chaparral's ninth straight since a 10-point setback to state No. 2 Centennial of Corona, the division's No. 1 seeded club.

13. (19) Lutheran (Orange) 8-2
It's the same ol' scenario in the Trinity League once again. In Trinity League action, Servite lost to Mater Dei (again) but defeated Orange Lutheran (again), only to see the Lancers rebound and defeat Mater Dei to create a three-way tie for first place in the rugged loop. When Parker Flynn booted a 42-yard field goal on Thursday night with two seconds remaining, it created another scenario where a three-way tie for the league crown was possible after Servite defeated St. John Bosco the next day. It wasn't easy as Mater Dei led most of the way, but Flynn's boot means that Lutheran still hasn't lost to Mater Dei since the league was formed three seasons ago. It also gave the Lancers their fourth consecutive win over Mater Dei dating back to 2004, not to mention a six spot jump in this week's ratings or basically the spot Mater Dei would have been in if it had held on for the win. Despite the win, Lutheran enters the playoffs as the No. 3 team from the Trinity League and opens the Pac-Five playoffs with battle-tested Fountain Valley. After Flynn's kick was good, do you think a possible second round game with Notre Dame is what Lancers fans had in mind?

14. (15) Cardinal Newman (Santa Rosa) 10-0
They don't have a tremendous amount of size up front on defense. In fact, Newman's biggest player, 6-foor-4, 275-pound Jacob McGowan plays mostly offense, but he occasionally lines up on defense with 255-pound lineman John Lawler. What the Cardinals do have are a pair of big, strong, quick running backs, Jeff Badger and Joe Ferguson, who double up as linebackers and routinely record double-digit tackles. Badger and Ferguson each scored two touchdowns in a 41-16 win against cross-town rival Carrillo as the Cardinals led 34-0 at the half before pulling their starters. Its beginning to look like this Cardinals team may be the best Coach Paul Cronin has ever had, including the one that took Oaks Christian to overtime two years ago in the Div. III state bowl game. As expected, the Cardinals received the top seed in the North Coast Section Div. II bracket after petitioning up from Div. III, the division they would be bowl eligible in should they run the table. After a bye, Newman will take on the winner of the Larkspur Redwood-Brentwood Heritage contest.

15. (16) Junipero Serra (San Mateo) 7-3
It would seem a team's record and some other computer voodoo significantly trumps strength of schedule in the way the teams are seeded in the Central Coast Section. Otherwise, how could Serra, a co-champion of the one of the toughest leagues in the state, be a seventh-seed in the Open Division? Regardless, the No. 5 ranked team in the CalHiSports.com Bay Area ratings was seeded in that spot and it means an opening round trip to Gilroy this Friday night in what should be an excellent match-up of teams with contrasting styles. We wonder if Gilroy, the No. 2 seed, really is looking forward to what will be a tougher game than any Tri-County League opponent this season. That includes North Salinas, who snagged the No. 6 seed. The Padres closed out the WCAL season by running roughshod over San Jose Mitty, leading 33-0 at the half before coasting home in a 33-14 final. Jared Braun and DonAndre Clark each had two runs to pay dirt.

16. (21) A.B. Miller (Fontana) 10-0
The Rebels showed they aren't just an offensive-oriented team as they blanked Fontana, 35-0, to record their second shutout of the season and jump up five spots in this week's ratings. Miller was given the No. 4 seed in the CIFSS Inland Division playoffs after capturing the Citrus Belt League title and there are those who believe the Rebels should have earned the No. 3 or even the No. 2 spot behind top-seeded Centennial of Corona as an undefeated club. Friday's playoff opener against Roosevelt of Corona should be interesting as it pairs two of the most prolific passers in the Southern Section in Miller's Juan Flores and Roosevelt's Andrew Corless. Against Fontana, Jacob Guzman, Raymond Del Rio and David Dash scored touchdowns, which makes it hard for Roosevelt to concentrate its defensive efforts on stopping any single player on Miller's offense.

17. (4) Oceanside 9-0-1
The final score read Oceanside 33, Ramona 33, but the result is essentially an upset loss for a Pirate team that stumbles 13 spots in this week's ratings. Oceanside might have let a second consecutive CIF State bowl bid get away with the tie that halted its 21-game winning streak and clearly puts CIF Southern Section club Notre Dame of Sherman Oaks in the driver's seat for the SoCal Div. II berth. Winning the Valley League title is little consolation for a program that is the four-time defending CIF San Diego Section Div II champs and the defending state Div. II champs. Oceanside jumped out to a 21-0 lead in the second quarter, but the Pirates -- whose starters had been limited to one half of play recent Valley League routs -- couldn't stop Ramona's balanced offense over the final three periods. Ramona took a 25-24 lead on a five-yard fumble return before Oceanside regained the lead at 33-25 on a touchdown and a field goal. But the Bulldogs scored and converted a two-point conversion which left Oceanside with one last chance to win the game but time expired before the Pirates could call timeout following Jordan Wynn's final completed pass. Wynn completed 23-of-31 passes for 339 yards with three touchdowns but an uncharacteristic two interceptions. Despite the tie, Oceanside was awarded the No. 1 seed in the Division II playoffs and after a bye will play the Mt. Carmel-Lincoln winner on Nov. 28.

18. (18) Servite (Anaheim) 7-3
When it was time to turn on the offense, the Friars turned to running back Gregory Portis and quarterback Cody Fajardo with glittering results in an impressive 48-31 victory over tough luck St. John Bosco of Bellflower. Servite's win clinched a three-way tie for the Trinity League title along with state-ranked Mater Dei and Orange Lutheran. A third of the league title, for the third straight season, is better than none as Servite earned a playoff spot while St. John Bosco's season ended after a terrific start. Portis gained 179 yards rushing, scoring on runs of two and 22 yards, on 25 carries. Fajardo had more than 250 yards in total offense, completing 10 of 17 passes for 183 yards and two scores in addition to rushing for 74 yards and two TDs. St. John Bosco led at intermission, 24-21, but would score just once after the break while the Friars tagged on 27 points to win going away. Servite enters the CIFSS Pac-Five Division playoffs as its league's No. 1 seed and the "reward" is a match up with Lakewood of the Moore League Friday night at Cerritos College. Lakewood enters the contest with an on-the-field record of 8-2.

19. (25) Mission Viejo 9-1
The Diablos are beginning a climb back up in the ratings following their loss to No. 8 Tesoro back on October 17 that essentially decided the South Coast League title and a high seed in the CIFSS Pac-Five Division playoffs. Instead of a probable No. 3 seed, the Diablos open with 6-4 Loyola of Los Angeles but all that seed did for Tesoro was get it a date with 8-2 Los Alamitos, which shared its league title with four other teams. That's how tough the Pac-Five playoffs are this season. In its regular season finale, Mission Viejo routed Capistrano Valley of Mission Viejo, 62-7, as Allen Bridgford passed for 223 yards and five touchdowns in less than two quarters of play. Bridgford and the offense is likely to put up points against the Loyola, so the key will likely be how well the Diablos' defense does in slowing down banged-up Loyola RB Anthony Barr.

20. (nr) Moorpark 9-1
Junior QB Brody Rohach told the L.A. Daily News that last week the Musketeers had their season's best week of practice and it showed in a 35-0 victory over Westlake. Rohach finished with 238 yards passing and two touchdowns, but it was a complete team effort as Moorpark's defense pressured Westlake QB Ben Conlin all night long and sacked him seven times. The special teams also got into the act with a 85-yard punt return by Greg Morrissey. Placing the Musketeers in the top 25 this week is a no-brainer since its only regular season loss was a 17-14 setback to a Notre Dame of Sherman Oaks club that some pundits feel is one of the nation's best. Moorpark received the No. 2 seed in the CIFSS Northern Division playoffs behind the Golden Knights and open with 5-5 Camarillo.

21. (16) Mater Dei (Santa Ana) 7-3
Following its heart-breaking 24-21 loss to Orange Lutheran to close out the regular season, the Monarchs drop five spots in these ratings but ironically, many feel Mater Dei has a chance to make some serious noise in the Pac-Five playoffs. The Monarchs have definitely improved weaknesses that were evident in its season-opening win over Carson on ESPN, but turnovers once again made the difference as Kyle Dravis picked off Mater Dei's Matt Barkley with just under 3:30 left in the fourth quarter that set up the game-wining field goal by Lutheran's Parker Flynn. It's hard not to think that the ridiculous preseason media hype bestowed on Barkley might make him feel as if he has to do something spectacular on nearly every throw, which is the feeling one gets at times when watching the talented signal-caller this season. It's a lot of pressure for any athlete to live up to, much less a high school-aged player. Barkley and company open the post-season against a dangerous Long Beach Jordan club that might give the Monarchs some problems if they get off to a slow start.

22. (11) Monte Vista (Danville) 8-2
A 26-7 loss to cross-town arch-rival San Ramon Valley didn't cost the Mustangs anything in the NCS Div. I seeding selection. What it cost Coach Craig Bergman's charges was town bragging rights, a big drop in these rankings and a likely drop in the NorCal Div. I bowl ratings. It really doesn't matter because everything in NCS Div. I will be going through De La Salle at some point. In the road loss they out gained the Wolves, piling up 427 yards, but couldn't overcome four turnovers and 10 penalties. Brett Nottingham was 21 of 30 passing for 252 yards, but he suffered three interceptions, was sacked, and on the hit fumbled to end a nine-play drive that sealed the Mustangs' fate. With or without a win they weren't getting the top seed and received the NCS Div. I No. 2 seed. They may get a chance at San Ramon Valley again, as the Wolves meet San Leandro for the right to play the Mustangs, who received a first-round bye.

23. (20) Pittsburg 9-1
The Pirate faithful are probably wondering what they did to deserve a three-spot drop, especially after rolling into Antioch and blanking the home team, 42-0, as QB Joe Lewis threw for 218 yards and four touchdowns. With a last-second loss to Monte Vista their only blemish, the Pirates snagged the NCS Div. I No. 3 seed and get a bye before facing the California (San Ramon) at Washington (Fremont) winner. Unfortunately because of that one loss, and similar to the NCS seeding selection, the Pirates must remain behind Monte Vista for now in these ratings. Monte Vista had to drop after its loss, so Pitt basically did as well.

24. (nr) Rancho Verde (Moreno Valley) 10-0
It's nothing but good news for Pete Duffy's Mustangs who wrapped up the Inland Valley League title in fine style, shutting out Canyon Springs, 35-0, to earn the No. 2 seed in the CIFSS Inland Division playoffs. Rancho Verde hosts Norco, a Big VIII League at-large selection and a program that has made the post-season 22 consecutive seasons and always puts up a good fight. A No. 2 seed is the highest form of respect for Duffy's club since the No. 1 seed is state No. 2 Centennial. The Mustangs will have something to prove in the postseason since there are two teams ranked ahead of them in the Top 25 who are seeded below them. The Mustangs enter the playoffs with glittering numbers, averaging 38.4 points per game behind RB Daniel Jenkins and TE Terrence Miller while allowing just over a touchdown (7.1 points) on defense.

25. (nr) Redlands East Valley (Redlands) 9-1
Once Gary Walker lit the spark, REV took out a lot of frustration on Eisenhower of Rialto, rolling to a 41-0 victory that catapulted the Wildcats into the Inland Division playoffs where they'll open against Santiago of Corona as the No. 6 seed. Walker's 32-yard run opened the scoring and his 69-yard punt return a few minutes later started the rout as the Wildcats handed IKE its biggest loss of the season. Getting a big bulge early allowed junior A.J. Fernandez to have his first 100-plus yard rushing game of the season as he finished with 128 yards on just 14 carries, including a two-yard touchdown. REV should have a little extra incentive this Friday night as it was Santiago that ousted the Wildcats from the playoffs last season. Santiago has major-league talent and might put it all together so REV definitely can't go in thinking about a possible quarterfinal matchup with state ranked Chaparral.

The playoffs are here and the caravan made a stop at the NCS seeding meetings Nov. 16 in Walnut Creek after a full schedule Friday and Saturday. Watch hosts Robert Braunstein and Amy Calderone each week on Sunday at 7 p.m. and 11 p.m. on YourTV 20, San Francisco. Replays are shown during the week on Comcast SportsNet on cable systems throughout Northern California.

By Harold Abend, Special to CalHisports.com

A last minute switch on Friday afternoon had us climbing the hills up from the Lafayette Reservoir overlooking the beautiful Rheem and Moraga valleys.

There, while talking on the field prior to the game with the home coach, Campolindo of Moraga's Kevin Macy, CalHiSports.com almost caused the 13-year Cougar coach and dad to miss the Senior Walk on Senior Night.

Macy raced over and found his son, Miles, and his wife, and arm-in-arm they walked the walk.

The team started sluggish, but Miles, a senior wide receiver, didn't miss a beat or a single ball thrown his way. He caught four passes for 65 yards from junior signal-caller Tommy Stephens, including a 19-yard touchdown in a 44-24 come-from-behind victory over neighboring arch-rival Acalanes of Lafayette.

The victory gave Campo, as they're called in Contra Costa County, its first outright Diablo Foothill Athletic League title since 2004.

For Coach Macy, it's his fourth overall league championship in his tenure, having been co-champs also on two occasions.  

The game the caravan was originally scheduled to visit put a certain Boise State-bound quarterback whom the pundits, prognosticators and self-proclaimed experts had written off, back in the spotlight.

Reality is there had been a disruption in the force, or in actuality, the predictability of the powerful East Bay Athletic League, after two Friday night matchups involving four of the tops teams left the water a little muddied.

That is until Sunday's NCS Div. I seeding meeting.

On Saturday, it was a bright sunny 80-degrees in Novato and the Hornets took advantage of not only the weather, but the Wildcats as well, disposing of Marin Catholic 21-0 while not playing that terribly crisp.

The one thing that befuddled me at the seeding meetings was where Novato was seeded in Div. III by the committee.

In selecting Encinal (Alameda) the top seed, they had a case, even though the Jets have flown real low all season schedule-wise, and admitted their toughest game was against a Piedmont team that lost 21-7 to a Drake team that lost 62-7 to Novato. The committee also cited the coaches listing Encinal either one or two in their rankings as a factor in their selection.

Then in choosing Miramonte (Orinda) the second-seed, somehow they got hung up on the margin of loss by Miramonte (7-14) and Novato (13-48) to Foothill (Pleasanton). That one criteria was the trump, rather than or any other actual criteria, such as Novato being a league champion that qualified six teams in various NCS playoffs.

Or, the fact Novato was coming off a non-lopsided 22-13 loss to powerful Valley Christian (San Jose) prior to Foothill, a Warrior team in a tier way above the NCS Div. II field based on strength of schedule.

The committee could have looked at the coaches rankings like they did for Encinal, who split the first and second choices amongst the coaches with Novato, while Miramonte got mostly five's from the coaches.

The fact Novato made a strong showing in the CIF Div. II Bowl Game and returned almost the entire team probably couldn't be used as a factor, but amongst knowledgeable football people it probably should be.

For his part, third-year Encinal Coach Joe Tenorio got what he asked for even though originally the Jets thought joining the Bay Shore League this year would weaken their chances come NCS playoffs.

After getting the top seed Tenorio wasn't so sure it was the best thing even though he told the committee in his presentation, he felt his team deserved top billing.

"Getting the top seed is something to be proud of, but I'm not crazy about the bye, Tenorio told CalHiSports.com. "We don't play well with byes.

Novato Coach Travis Brackett wasn't happy with the snub but in many ways the situation fits his team. "I'm disappointed and felt we should have been higher, but in a way its better, Brackett said. "We really didn't want a bye.

There's another guy we interviewed who would rather not come to the seeding meetings.

Every year, this one coach comes to his division's meeting and sits by himself in a corner. Unlike most other coaches who bring an entourage of assistants, this coach usually brings no one.

Not only that, when it's his turn to speak, he rarely uses more than 20-30 seconds of the allotted two minutes given to address the committee.

"I really don't want to come, he said with a chuckle. "The coaches' influence is minimal. The committee just wants the facts.

And when De La Salle's Bob Ladouceur gave them the facts, the D1 committee gave the Spartans the top seed as expected.

Monte Vista of Danville, despite losing to cross-town arch-rival San Ramon Valley, got the second-seed followed by Pittsburg and Foothill. That's what head-to-head wins do for you.

While the NCS had a few glitches like the Novato seeding, by-and-large it went as expected.

Byes in the NCS will make this a week to pay attention to the matchups in the CCS and there are plenty of those.

We'll outline those contests in this week's rankings.

Football Top 20 Teams
(Through games of Nov. 15)
(Previous ranking in parentheses)

1) De la Salle (Concord) 9-1 (1)
The Spartans finished up their first year in the East Bay Athletic League unbeaten, but it didn't come without a few tussles. This was especially true in a 21-14 victory against upset-minded California, a team Coach Lad in the seeding meeting compared to Don Bosco Prep of New Jersey, the only team to beat his squad this season. Tied 14-14 on the road at San Ramon with 5:17 left in the game, Sparta marched swiftly to the California end zone in less than a minute-and-a-half. Khyri Knowles had a 40-yard scamper in the drive and the deciding touchdown on a 7-yard run to paydirt. Kylan Butler rushed for 186 yards and two touchdowns on 18 carries. The top seed in the NCS Division I bracket draws a bye and will play the winner of the Deer Valley (Antioch) at Berkeley contest in two weeks.   

2) Oak Grove (San Jose) 10-0 (2)
As expected, the Eagles received the top seed in the CCS Open Division and will be tested early in an opening round matchup at home this Friday night against eighth-seeded Palma of Salinas. Usually, opening round games for top seeds are easy contests compared to a top league foe, but in this instance that is not the case. The Chieftains will by far be the toughest team Coach Ed Buller's squad has faced all season. This past week they barely broke a sweat in a 56-0 whitewashing on the road at Westmont of Campbell. We'll see right away if a non-league and Mount Hamilton League schedule that saw Oak Grove outscore opponents 440-97 is a plus or a minus at this stage of the season.

3) Bellarmine (San Jose) 9-1 (4)
Somehow, when the computer stopped clicking at the CCS seeding meeting, the Bells landed in the No. 3 slot in the CCS Open Division. That means a matchup Saturday night at San Jose City College against a solid Milpitas team. In its WCAL finale Friday night at SJCC, the Bell tolled for St. Francis (Mountain View) in a 42-7 shellacking. Usua Amanam ran seven times for 129 yards and a touchdown and also scored on a punt return. Amanam now has 1,102 yards and 20 touchdowns rushing this season with 26 TDs overall.

4) Cardinal Newman (Santa Rosa) 10-0 (5)
It's beginning more and more to look like this Cardinals team may be the best Coach Paul Cronin has ever had, including the one that took Oaks Christian (Westlake Village) to overtime two years ago in the state D3 bowl game. The only thing Newman doesn't have is a lot of size up front on defense. They do have two solid running backs, Jeff Badger and Joe Ferguson, who play linebacker as well and routinely have double-digit tackles. Badger and Ferguson each scored two touchdowns in a 41-16 win against cross-town rival Carrillo. The Cardinals led 34-0 at the half before pulling all the starters. Newman, as expected, received the top seed in NCS Div. II and received a bye.   

5) Serra (San Mateo) 7-3 (6)
The Padres are the third team to move up a spot after the defeat of Monte Vista. This past week they ran roughshod over Mitty (San Jose) leading 33-0 at the half before coasting home in a 33-14 final. Jared Braun and DonAndre Clark each had two runs to paydirt. The Padres, along with Bellarmine, are co-champs of the WCAL and the reward is the seventh-seed in the CCS Open Division. That means an opening round trip to Gilroy this Friday night in what should be an excellent matchup of teams with contrasting styles.

6) Monte Vista (Danville) 8-2 (3)
They say anything can happen in a rivalry game between two top teams and that's exactly what happened to the Mustangs when they lost the town's bragging rights to San Ramon Valley. They outgained the Wolves and piled up 427 yards but couldn't overcome four turnovers and 10 penalties, or find the end zone enough in a 26-7 loss. Brett Nottingham was 21 of 30 for 252 yards, but he suffered three interceptions, was sacked, and on the hit fumbled to end a nine-play drive that sealed the Mustang's fate. The loss had little effect on the seed Coach Craig Bergman's team received. With or without a win they weren't getting the top seed and received the NCS D2 second-seed. After a bye, they may get a chance at San Ramon Valley again, as the Wolves meet San Leandro for the right to play the idle Mustangs.

7) Pittsburg 9-1 (7)
Neighboring Antioch was no match for the Pirates who snuck into town and stole the all the treasure in a 42-0 blanking. Against the Panthers Joe Lewis, threw for 218 yards and four touchdowns. With the last-second loss to Monte Vista its only blemish, the Pirates snagged the NCS D1 third seed and get a bye before facing the California (San Ramon) at Washington (Fremont) winner.

8) Foothill (Pleasanton) 9-2 (8)
The Falcons got a big scare in a contest for the town's bragging rights, coming back from a 17-0 halftime deficit to defeat Amador Valley 24-17 and knock their rivals out of the playoffs for the third straight season. Senior Michael Young played a key role in the victory, recovering Dons quarterback Kean Stancil's fumble on the 21-yard-line with 5:06 left in the fourth quarter, and then scoring the go-ahead touchdown on a 7-yard run with just under four-minutes remaining. Quarterback Sean Mannion had a tough first half in which he completed just three passes for 18 yards and was intercepted. In the second half he bulled into the end zone on two 1-yard plunges and completed 9 of 11 passes. As the fourth-seed in the NCS D1 bracket, the Falcons are the last team to receive a bye. They'll meet the winner of the Logan (Union City) at Freedom (Oakley) contest.

9) Valley Christian (San Jose) 8-2 (9)
Cameron Marshall, Anthony Oliveras and Daniel Johnson combined to rush for 268 yards and four touchdowns in a 42-7 victory over Riordan on the road in San Francisco. Marshall also had a 51-yard TD reception from Cory Gambello. James Yoder intercepted a pass and the Warrior defense held the Crusaders to under 100 yards of offense. Next up as the No. 5 seed in the CCS Open Division is a Saturday night trip to Salinas to meet No. 4 seed North Salinas at the Salinas Sports Complex.

10) California (San Ramon) 6-4 (10)
We keep looking at the Grizzlies' record and even with four losses it's still impressive. They lost by a touchdown on the road in Washington, by a touchdown on the road at Foothill, by a field goal at home against Monte Vista and by a touchdown while only giving up 21 points to De La Salle. Against the Spartans, Leroy Green rushed for 123 yards and a touchdown on 27 carries. The Grizzlies get the NCS D1 sixth-seed but because they are not a league champion must travel to Mission Valley Athletic League champion and eleventh-seed Washington (Fremont) for the right to face Pittsburg.

11) Palma (Salinas) 8-2 (11)
The Chieftains built a 42-0 lead before coasting home 42-19 against cross-town Alisal. Palma wound up in a three-way tie for the Tri-County Athletic League championship with North Salinas and Gilroy, beating North Salinas 20-14 and losing the next week 34-28 to Gilroy, both six point games. Still, the CCS seeding system saw them as the last seed in the Open Division meaning Oak Grove is next up. It'll be the first time Palma has faced Oak Grove since the CCS Division I championship game several years ago, won by the Chieftains 15-14 on a touchdown with 43 seconds to play. Look for Palma to give the Eagles all they can handle.

12) North Salinas (Salinas) 9-1 (12)
Just two seasons ago, Coach Steve Zenk's Vikings were 2-8. Now, they're the No. 4 seed in the tough CCS Open division after finishing the regular season by dumping cross-town arch-rival Salinas 35-7 on the road. Salinas, however, still made the CCS playoffs marking the first time in 26 years both teams got into playoff action. Although they are only co-champs of the Tri-County League with Palma and Gilroy it did nothing to dampen the achievement, a first league title for the Vikings in 25 years. Now, Zenk's charges get a real test when they face Valley Christian right out of the box.

13) Gilroy 9-1 (13)
The Mustangs are behind Palma and North Salinas here but not in the CCS Open Div. seedings where they snagged the second spot. Quarterback Jamie Jensen and his teammates can make these rankings look bad if they do to No. 7 seed Serra what they've done to all but North Salinas this year, put a lot of points on the board and come out victorious. Jensen was over the top in a 47-0 blowout of San Benito of Hollister, passing for 470 yards and three touchdowns on 30 of 36 attempts.  

14) San Ramon Valley (Danville) 7-3 (14)
It's a shame there's no where to move the Wolves upward after a 26-7 victory over Monte Vista helped end their EBAL season on a positive note with the defeat of their cross-town arch-rivals. Playing his final regular-season game, quarterback Joe Southwick, the three-year starter and Boise State-bound standout, completed 16 of 22 passes for 265 yards and one touchdown. He also ran for a team-best 50 yards and another score. Coach Dave Kravitz was all smiles at the seeding meeting and his team was rewarded with the No. 7 seed. That means a return trip to San Leandro and a second matchup against the Hayward Area Athletic League champion Pirates whom they defeated 38-34 in week two.

15) Novato 8-2 (15)
It probably doesn't matter that the Hornets were seeded third in the NCS Div. III bracket. Somehow, some way, the winner of the division is going to have to beat the Hornets, last year's north representative in the CIF Div. II bowl game. This past Saturday they didn't play their best game but still easily dispatched Marin Catholic (Kentfield) 21-0. The victory gave the hosts their third straight Marin County Athletic League title and fifth in eight years of Coach Travis Brackett's tenure. Kyle Campas led four running backs who combined for 240 yards. He finished with 129 yards on 21 carries. Jake Davis had two touchdown receptions from Jeff Stephens. Now comes a second meeting with a Drake (San Anselmo) team that Novato defeated 62-7 in the regular season. Drake makes the playoffs for the first time in eight years.

16) San Leandro 7-3 (16)
Coach Bart Bowers' boys got it done early and often this past week, blowing out Mt. Eden (Hayward) 55-0 on the road in a Thursday night road game. The victory wraps up a perfect 7-0 HAAL campaign for the Pirates. Against Mt. Eden they ran for 289 yards and tight end Lenny Jones had three touchdown receptions from quarterback Travis Gardner. San Leandro only got a 10th seed but because the Pirates are a league champion means home-field advantage as they look to avenge the early season loss to San Ramon Valley.

17) Milpitas 9-1 (17)
Upstart Milpitas, who two years ago won the CCS Large School title and lost last year in the opening round 30-20 to North Salinas, now gets bumped up to the Open Division where they are the sixth-seed. The reward is a meeting with Bellarmine on the road this Saturday night at San Joe City College.

18) Clayton Valley (Concord) 9-1 (18)
Coach Herc Pardi's boys completed a perfect regular season and celebrated their first outright Diablo Valley Athletic League championship in 30 years after a 26-7 win over cross-town arch-rival Ygnacio Valley. Quarterback Joe Levine was a perfect 8-for-8 passing for 256 yards and three touchdowns including a 67-yarder. Dozie Iwuagwu ran for 105 yards and a touchdown on a 70-yard run. Now comes the NCS Div. II playoffs where the Eagles are the second seed. They have a bye and await the winner of the Friday night Concord at Casa Grande (Petaluma) contest.

19) Rancho Cotate (Rohnert Park) 9-1 (19)
The Ranch closed out the regular season with a 34-20 home victory over Santa Rosa and earned the No. 3 seed in the NCS D2 bracket. With a bye for the first four seeds the Cougars will rest and meet the winner of the Las Lomas (Walnut Creek) at Eureka opening round matchup.

20) Campolindo (Moraga) 9-1 (20)
The Cougars overcame a sluggish start to win their first outright Diablo Foothill Athletic League title since 2004 with a 44-24 victory over neighboring arch-rival Acalanes of Lafayette. Trailing 14-10 just before the half, and tied 17-17 midway through the third quarter, they scored 21 points in the span of just under four-minutes between the late the third quarter and early fourth quarter to put the game away. Junior quarterback Tommy Stephens completed 12 of 20 passes for 211 yards and four touchdowns. Running back Anthony Rodriguez rushed for two second half touchdowns on runs of 21 and 51 yards and finished with 15 carries for 124 yards.

On The Bubble
Berkeley 9-1, Bishop O'Dowd (Oakland) 9-1, Carmel 8-1, Casa Grande (Petaluma), 7-2-1, Deer Valley (Antioch) 7-3, Encinal (Alameda) 10-0, Freedom (Oakley) 9-1, Fremont (Oakland) 8-2, Hill (San Jose) 10-0, Homestead (Cupertino) 9-1, Kings Academy (Sunnyvale) 9-0-1, Los Gatos 7-3, Marin Catholic (Kentfield) 7-3, Menlo-Atherton (Atherton) 8-2, Miramonte (Orinda) 8-2, *Monterey 9-1, Palo Alto 7-3, Piedmont 8-2, Pioneer (San Jose) 9-1, Sacred Heart-Cathedral (San Francisco) 5-5, Sacred Heart Prep (Atherton) 9-0-1, St. Ignatius (San Francisco) 5-5, Santa Teresa (San Jose) 10-0, Scotts Valley 9-1, Ukiah 8-2, Woodside 7-3.
(*includes Stallworth of Stockton loss)

Comments or corrections? Email mark@studentsports.com and be sure to leave a comment so others can check out what you have to say. 

Five-way tie for Sunset League title in SoCal causes stir, Oceanside gets tied up by Ramona and state-ranked Monte Vista falls in NorCal.

By Mark Tennis & Harold Abend

It was the close of the regular season in high school football for most of the state and while the weekend was marred by disastrous fires it was a weekend where ties created the most headlines.

In the CIF Southern Section's Sunset League, which annually is one of the state's best, the extremely rare five-way tie was the end result of last Friday's games. The five teams involved  Edison of Huntington Beach, Esperanza of Anaheim, Fountain Valley, Los Alamitos and Newport Harbor of Newport Beach  all finished up with 3-2 league records.

We have always hated games of chance to break ties in these situations, but in this case two forms of chance  drawing names out of a hat and flipping coins  were both utilized.

First, Newport Harbor was relegated to the fifth spot for section playoff purposes. Since the section's Pac-Five Division only has room for three and then a possible fourth through an at-large process, the Sailors were in effect coin-flipped and hat-drawn out of the playoffs.

Next, Edison had to take the fourth position and made an at-large bid, but the Chargers did not get into the Pac-Five Division as that bid on Sunday instead went to Bishop Amat of La Puente. This leaves Esperanza, Fountain Valley and Los Alamitos as the three teams from the league getting to go to the playoffs.

Five-way ties are indeed extremely rare and would create a nightmare for any tie-breaker system, but three-way ties are not that rare and it's still hard to believe how many leagues and sections around the state still insist that a coin flip or drawing names out of a hat are the best solutions.

Since its own section has had its share of controversial coin flips over the years, the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section has adopted the 13-point margin differential system in breaking ties and early indications are that coaches, players and fans seem to clearly favor it over coin flips.

We believe this system is far superior to coin flips as well and would encourage all leagues and sections to use the same tie-breaker.

It basically goes like this: the point differential between all head-to-head games between the tied teams  is added up, except with the stipulation that the most positive points a team can get is 13, which is used to prevent a team from running up the score.

With the five-way tie in the Sunset League creating so much interest, we thought it would be interesting to run those five teams into that format and see what came up.

Ironically, the team that would be in the No. 1 position out of the Sunset League using the Sac-Joaquin system would be Newport Harbor with a +6. Esperanza would be next with a +2, followed by Fountain Valley with a -2. Both Los Alamitos and Edison had a -3, but that tie would then be broken by the head-to-head result and would go to Los Al.

Coin flips will never completely be gone from football, but they should be gone from determining which teams go to the playoffs and which teams are turning in uniforms.

Stunning tie: Oceanside gets one on record

The way the Oceanside High football team had been manhandling its opponents in the Valley League there was thought to be little chance that the Pirates would fare any differently in their regular season finale last Friday at Ramona.

The host Bulldogs, though, had other ideas. Joey Dambrose scored on a one-yard plunge with 27.6 seconds left and then ran it in for a two-point conversion as Ramona tied Oceanside, 33-33.

Oceanside had a 21-game win streak snapped that will now be a 21-0-1 unbeaten streak. The Pirates still received the top seed in the San Diego Section Div. II playoffs, but they will drop at least two spots in this week's CIF Div. II South bowl game rankings behind unbeaten and red-hot Notre Dame of Sherman Oaks and Cathedral Catholic of San Diego, which is the top seed in the San Diego Section Div. III playoffs.

Since Cathedral Catholic and Oceanside are not in the same playoff divisions in San Diego, the big question now will be whether the Dons or the Pirates would be considered the section's top choice for the bowl game if both win section titles. One team that is in the same division as Cathedral Catholic, though, is Ramona so if the Dons are able to play the Bulldogs in the playoffs and win then they would have the common opponent criteria clearly in their favor in a comparison with Oceanside.

The tie for Oceanside also could be an obstacle if the Pirates end up on the board during the CIF bowl game selection meeting against a potentially unbeaten team from the Central Section or against a team like Lutheran of Orange or Mater Dei of Santa Ana should either one end up as the CIFSS Pac-Five Division winner.

San Ramon Valley dominates Monte Vista
while De La Salle hangs on against Grizzlies

There's been a disruption in the force, or in actuality, the predictability of the powerful East Bay Athletic League, after two Friday night matchups involving four of the tops teams left the water a little muddied.

First, San Ramon Valley (Danville) quarterback Joe Southwick and his Wolves teammates pinned a convincing 26-7 loss on cross-town arch-rival and previous CalHiSports.com state No. 11 Monte Vista.

Playing his final regular-season game, Southwick, the three-year starter and Boise State-bound standout, completed 16 of 22 passes for 265 yards and one touchdown. He also ran for a team-best 50 yards and another score as the Wolves (7-3, 4-3 EBAL) stopped the Mustangs (8-2, 5-2), whose only previous loss was to state No. 3 De La Salle of Concord.

Monte Vista quarterback Brett Nottingham was 21 of 30 for 252 yards, but he suffered three interceptions, was sacked, and on the hit fumbled to end a nine-play drive that sealed the Mustang's fate.

Meanwhile, down the road in San Ramon, De La Salle got another tough tussle on the road from a Bay Area foe, slipping past California, 21-14, to keep its decade-and-a-half unbeaten streak against Bay Area teams intact.

Arizona-bound Kylan Butler rushed for 186 yards and two touchdowns on 18 carries to lead the Spartans. Still, it took a seven-yard TD run with 3:53 left by Khryi Knowles for the game-winning points. California then went three-and-out and De La Salle ran out the clock to secure the win.

Comments or corrections? Email mark@studentsports.com and be sure to leave a comment so others can check out what you have to say.

Check here for glimpse at what the next overall state top 25 might look like with reported results through Friday night. Note: All content on CalHiSports.com and ESPN RISE is free. No more subscriptions, no more passwords.

1. Poly (Long Beach) 10-0 def. Jordan, 29-13
2. Centennial (Corona) 10-0 def. Norco, 31-7
3. De La Salle (Concord) 9-1 def. California, 21-14
4. Oceanside 9-0-1 tied Ramona, 33-33
5. St. Bonaventure (Ventura) 9-1 def. San Marcos, 50-0
6. Notre Dame (Sherman Oaks) 10-0 def. Bishop Amat, 56-21
7. Oak Grove (San Jose) 10-0 def. Westmont, 56-0 Thursday
8. Grant (Sacramento) 10-0 def. Burbank, 35-13
9. Tesoro (Las Flores) 10-0 def. Dana Hills, 56-26
10. Oaks Christian (Westlake Village) 10-0 def. Nordhoff, 62-8
11. Monte Vista (Danville) 8-2 loss San Ramon Valley, 26-7
12. Bellarmine (San Jose) 9-1 def. St. Francis, 42-7
13. Chaparral (Temecula) 9-1 def. Great Oak, 35-3
14. Mater Dei (Santa Ana) 7-3 loss Lutheran, 24-21 Thursday
15. Cardinal Newman (Santa Rosa) 10-0 def. Marillo Carillo, 41-16
16. Junipero Serra (San Mateo) 7-3 def. Archbishop Mitty, 33-14
17. Cathedral Catholic (San Diego) 10-0 def. Scripps Ranch, 70-37
18. Servite (Anaheim) 7-3 def. St John Bosco, 48-31
19. Lutheran (Orange) 8-2 def. Mater Dei (Santa Ana), 24-21 Thursday
20. Pittsburg 9-1 def. Antioch, 42-0
21. A.B. Miller (Fontana) 10-0 def. Fontana, 35-0
22. Los Alamitos 8-2 loss Newport Harbor, 24-23 Thursday
23. Edison (Huntington Beach) 7-3 loss Esperanza, 16-3
24. Vista Murrieta (Murrieta) 8-2 loss Murrieta Valley, 10-3
25. Mission Viejo 9-1 def. Capistrano Valley, 62-7

President-elect might be the most influential, but not yet the most inspirational, from his high school. New Mayor-elect in state's Capital just might be best athlete ever from its city limits and recent San Diego State basketball signee with family ties to local legend.

Barack Obama, a graduate of Punahou School in Hawaii, inspired millions around
the world last week when he was elected to become the 44th President of the
United States.

In 30 years of covering California high school sports, the most inspirational
person we've ever encountered also is a graduate of Punahou.

This would be football coach Charlie Wedemeyer, the 1985 CalHiSports.com State
Coach of the Year from Los Gatos High School in the San Francisco Bay Area and
a 2007 inductee into the National High School Hall of Fame.

Wedemeyer, a legend when he starred at Punahou in multiple sports and called
Hawaii's best prep athlete of the 1960s, coached that 1985 Los Gatos team in
a golf cart, unable to walk or talk and even breathe without a respirator due
to the ravages of Lou Gehrig's disease.

Most people close to the program thought the 1984 season would be his last due
to the disease, so it was especially heart-wrenching to watch what up to then
was his best team go down in an upset to St. Francis of Mountain View in the
CIF Central Coast Section playoffs.

Wedemeyer's 1985 team, however, pulled together. With his wife, Lucy, his
Punahou sweetheart, reading his lips and then relaying the play calls to
assistant coaches, Los Gatos went on one of those storybook playoff rides that
culminated in a championship game against St. Francis, which this time was
favored.

As the clock was winding down, St. Francis drove down the field for what
looked like a chip-shot field goal. The three points were poised to give Los
Gatos another tough loss. But the kick was blocked and a scene erupted that
the late great Merv Harris of the San Francisco Examiner described perfectly:
"There wasn't a dry eye in the house.

Wedemeyer was not allowed to coach the Los Gatos varsity the next season, but
the man who replaced him, Butch Cattolico, has won more than 200 games since
his first season in 1986.

To this day, Charlie is still part of the Los Gatos program as an assistant
coach for the freshman team and annually tours the country talking about faith
and inspiring others. He has lived with Lou Gehrig's disease for 30 years
and has met one of the others in his situation, the renowned Dr. Stephen
Hawking.

It would be interesting to know if President-Elect Obama has ever heard the
story about his fellow Punahou grad. We do know that if he ever met Charlie
Wedemeyer that he'd never forget him.

Where does K.J. rank among Sacramento athletes?

In the sports world, the ascent of Kevin Johnson, former NBA star, to become
the new mayor of Sacramento was one of the top stories on election night from
around the nation.

For us, though, it was just another reminder of how long we've been covering
high school sports since we vividly recall watching him one night light up the
scoreboard for the Sac High Dragons during a cold February night in 1983.

Johnson did that a lot that season, to the tune of 32.8 points per game to be
exact, which ended up being the top reported total in the state. He played for
Sacramento's baseball team later that year and was outstanding doing that as
well with a reported .500 batting average.

As a high school standout in two sports and later an all-star caliber
performer in the NBA, which includes his selection to the second USA Dream Team
at the Olympics, Johnson could be ranked, in fact, as the best male athlete to
ever graduate from a Sacramento area high school.

We said could be, though, because it's certainly debatable.  We also said
male because several females -- particularly Olympic swimming legend Debbie
Meyer of Rio Americano and Olympic track sprinter Evelyn Ashford of Roseville
-- we'd rank higher than any males.

Another disclaimer is that we wouldn't count Olympic swimming legend Mark
Spitz as being from Sacramento even though he grew up in the city because
Spitz went to high school in Santa Clara.

We also have always had a soft spot in our heart for legendary Elk Grove
basketball player Bill Cartwright. Based on what they did in high school,
Cartwright would get the nod over Johnson. Based on what they've done
afterward, Johnson has the stronger resume.

In recent years, a Sacramento athlete coming up the charts in such a
comparison would be Derrek Lee, who has had MVP-type seasons for the Chicago
Cubs. Lee, who went to El Camino High of Sacramento, also was an 18 points per
game scorer in basketball for the Eagles. If Lee were to keep it up at his
current level for the Cubs, and perhaps do something really crazy like lead
them to a World Series, then he would pass Johnson. As of now, though, in
election terms, that one looks too close to call.

You would also have to include Dusty Baker in this field. Many around
Sacramento still think that Baker, who starred at Del Campo High of Fair Oaks
in the late 1960s and then went on to play in the major leagues, is the best
three-sport athlete in Sacramento history.

Four years ago, Johnson was the second-highest ranked athlete from the
Sacramento area (behind Cartwright) when we released our list of the top 100
boys in California history. Lee and Baker weren't on that list, but both
were close and Lee probably would be that high right now.

-MARK TENNIS

 Recruit has tough act to follow 

San Diego State basketball recruit Alec Williams of JSerra High in
Orange County has never lived in San Diego, but he said it feels like
he's making a homecoming of sorts after he signed his national
letter-of-intent on Wednesday to play his college career with the
Aztecs.

That's because his grandfather is a legend in San Diego sports. Art
Powell, who played at San Diego High in the 1950s when the Cavers were
a Southern California power, went on to establish himself as one of the
finest wide receveivers in the American Football League while playing
for the Oakland Raiders, Buffalo Bills and New York Titans (before they
became the Jets). Williams can see his grandfather's plaque on the wall
at the San Diego Hall of Champions as a member of its Hall of Fame.

"That just made my choice to pick San Diego State even better,"
Williams said. "I'll be playing in a city where my grandfather was a
famous name. I know I'll be welcome in San Diego, and that makes it an
easier fit for me."

Williams is a 6-foot-7, 245-pounder with the bulk to play inside and
the quickness and shooting touch to play outside.

Although he's built like a tight end, he's never played football at any
level outside of a game of touch football. That's not only OK with his
grandfather because he actually encouraged Williams to pursue a basketball career over football.

"My grandpa always told me you can last a lot longer playing basketball
than football," Williams said. "I started playing basketball at an
early age and always liked it. I caught on fast."

-- TOM SHANAHAN

We make our first visit to the beautiful coastal area north of Los Angeles where we honor this week's boys winner. Around town, and after last week's performance, he's a big name. But, although he's currently the state's reported passing leader, he's humbled and appreciative that winning this award may help him get some recognition outside his local area and help him achieve his goal of playing college football.

By Harold Abend, Special to CalHiSports.com

Note: Remember, we are looking for those student-athletes who had a standout performance in their sport from the previous week, but we also are looking for a balance between athletic achievement, academic work in the classroom, community service or overcoming adversity. Send nominations to mark@studentsports.com.

	Santa Barbara High School
	John Uribe

Three weeks ago we honored the third-leading reported passer in the state, Derrick Carr of Bakersfield Christian.

Last week, James Boyd of Jordan in Los Angeles, the No. 2 passer in the state, was our boys athlete of the week.

This week, moving right up the ladder, we've chosen a young man, who like the tropical Pacific Ocean disturbances that on rare occasion hit the town, has taken the historic coastal city of Santa Barbara by storm himself.

With his performance last Friday night, John Uribe etched his name on an MVP trophy, in the county record book, and also propelled himself to the top of the yardage list for quarterbacks in California.

In a 49-28 victory over cross-town arch-rival San Marcos, he passed for 524 yards on 34 of 50 attempts with six touchdowns.

The result was Uribe was named MVP of the annual Big Game, and will have his name forever engraved on the Gary Blades Memorial Award trophy.

Besides moving into the top spot for passers in the state, he also has numbers that make him the all-time single-season passing leader in Santa Barbara County history.

That list includes players such as fomer Dons stars Poncho Renteria, who led the "Golden Tornado" to a CIF Southern Section Div. II co-title in 1989, and Randall Cunningham, Uribe's idol who led his team to the CIFSS Coastal Conference title game in 1980 and passed for nearly 30,000 yards in a NFL career from 1985 to 2001.

For the county's record, the 6-foot-1, 180-pound Uribe's 3,316 yards puts him comfortably ahead of Dos Pueblos of Goleta's Shane Lopes (3,084 yards in 2001), and his 36 touchdowns surpasses the 35 thrown by Carpinteria's Henry Gonzales in 1979. 

"He's my coach-in-a-lifetime quarterback," said Dons Coach Will Gonzalez, a history teacher at Santa Barbara, in his third year coaching the Dons after ironically coming over from San Marcos where he coached for five years. "We're very honored to be in the company of your other award winners. 

"John has something you can't teach," continued Gonzalez. "Not only does he have one of the strongest arms I've ever seen in high school football, but what really makes him so deadly is he's accurate and delivers the ball to the receivers."

Although he was sick and in bed when CalHiSports.com did an early morning phone interview earlier this week, Uribe tried to be upbeat despite sounding pretty weak.

"John's a gamer," Gonzalez remarked. "Even though he's sick with the flu, he's one of those kids you know is going to be there on Friday night regardless."

With the Dons currently 3-1 in league, a win tonight against Ventura will get Santa Barbara into the CIF Southern Section Northern Division playoffs as a second-place team from the Channel League, behind CalHiSports.com state No. 5 ranked St. Bonaventure of Ventura. A loss still gets them in as a third-place team from its league.

In a 51-21 loss to St. Bonnies two weeks ago, Uribe had 296 yards passing on 26 of 51 attempts with two touchdowns, but also three picks.

Uribe's high-water mark this season came on Oct. 3 in a 51-21 victory over San Luis Obispo. He completed 28 of 35 passes for 574 yards and seven touchdowns.

In nine games this season, Uribe has been over 300-yards on six occasions.

Having entry into the section playoffs guaranteed, Uribe will get at least two more games to add to his record-breaking totals.

"What a lot of people don't know is John is a heck of a defensive player," Gonzalez said. "We don't want to get him hurt but he could just as well dominate on defense."

"Although he's not the ideal height, I think he'll get an opportunity to play in college," his coach continued. "His height is good enough for the same kind of spread offense we use that we've seen at Missouri and Kansas."

Competing at the next level involves more than abilities on the gridiron, it also means gaining academic acceptance if Uribe has any hope of playing D1 college football.

Currently he has a B-minus average, but just like on the field, he's working hard in the classroom.

"My goal is to get my grades up to 3.0 or 3.1," Uribe told CalHisports.com. "I'm meeting with teachers and counselors to find out what extra work I can do."

"His grades are an area he's working on and we're supporting him," Gonzalez said. "With some guys it takes a little longer."

When first informed by phone while at school just prior to practice that he was Athlete of the Week, the voices of his teammates could be heard shouting in the background.

"Woo-hoo! State player of the week!" they yelled. 

Although soft-spoken due to effects of the flu, Uribe especially perked up when discussing teammates and family.

His cousin and best friend, wide receiver Roberto Nelson, is also a star on the basketball team. Nelson will be playing next fall for President-elect Barack Obama's brother-in-law Craig Robinson, the first-year head basketball coach at Oregon State.

"Roberto is a real friend," said Uribe, who also plays basketball and baseball for the Dons. "He lives down the street. We've gone though elementary school, junior high and now high school together."

Other teammates Uribe mentioned he's close to are senior tight end Bryson Lloyd, and Kyle Leonard, a senior running back who transferred to Santa Barbara from Florida.

"Its not just those guys, it's the entire team, the O-line," Uribe continued. "We're all real close. Like a big family."

John is not the only Uribe to play sports at Santa Barbara. His father, Vincent Uribe Jr., who works for a local school district in transportation and maintenance, played football at Santa Barbara.

Older brother Vincent III, who works at a local hardware store, played baseball at Santa Barbara.

John's mother Joey, does in-home care for children 2-months to 4-years-old, and wasn't really an athlete. "She was a cheerleader for a while," Uribe said trying to chuckle and laugh while coughing at the same time. 

While Uribe's dream would be to follow his cousin and best friend Nelson to Oregon State, he's open to other possibilities and is thankful to CalHiSports.com for helping get the word out by telling his story.

"I'm trying to get to Oregon State with Roberto, and Utah and UC Davis have shown some interest, but nothing has come through yet," Uribe said. "Hopefully with the story going on the ESPN web site people will see me outside of Santa Barbara. When you're not really well known, it also feels good to know I have a lot of support, not just from my local community."

While college is still up in the air Uribe sees himself as an entrepreneur down the road, possibly in the construction business.

Before then, there's some more yards to pile up in his quest to be the state's leading passer and Friday night's game at home against Ventura is the next stop.


Past Athlete of the Week winners update:

James Boyd (Jordan, Los Angeles): One week after being named the ESPN RISE CalHiSports.com State Athlete of the Week he was at it again. He followed up on his 336-yard performance in a win over South East of South Gate by completing 14 for 27 for 327 yards and five TDs in 48-29 win over Garfield in just over a half's action as signal-caller. So far on the season, Boyd has completed 215 passes on 364 attempts good for 3,062 yards and 32 TDs.

Derek Carr (Bakersfield Christian): Besides being the CalHiSports.com State Athlete of the Week two weeks ago, the former ESPN RISE national player of the week set a new Central Section record by passing for a whopping 544 yards as Bakersfield Christian edged Arvin, 42-35, in a South Sequoia League game. He also tied a section record held by two other players as he completed 37 passes for four touchdowns and added a one-yard touchdown run, which turned out to be the game-winning score. His numbers on the season are now 2,878 yards and 30 TDs.

Ryan Kasdorf (Notre Dame, Sherman Oaks): The junior signal-caller on the CalHiSports state No. 6 ranked Knights passed his way into Notre Dame's record books while keeping the Knights undefeated with a 34-0 victory over Loyola of Los Angeles. He completed his first 10 passes on the way to an 18 of 23 night for 275 yards and four touchdowns. He now has a single season school record 30 touchdown passes on the year.

Brett Nottingham (Monte Vista, Danville): Feeling no ill effects from the loss to De La Salle two weeks ago, it was just another day at the office for the Mustang junior signal-caller this past Friday night. In a 48-21 win against visiting Amador Valley of Pleasanton he threw for 269 yards with four touchdowns on 18 of 25 attempts. He's just at No. 9 in the state but his numbers are good enough to lead the tough North Coast Section. His overall consistency plus the big numbers is making him a hot commodity. Nottingham now has 2,545 yards and 34 touchdowns with only six interceptions this season, the highest TD to INT ratio in the state amongst top signal-callers.

Adrian Pacheco (Selma): A week after rushing for 232 yards in a 62-28 loss to Exeter, Pacheco got some rest in a 38-0 whitewashing of Immanuel of Reedley. He only rushed three times for 60 yards. On the season Pacheco has 1,379 yards and 17 touchdowns in eight games for the 6-3 Bears.

Desi Rodriguez (Saugus): Accounted for 344 yards to help the Centurions defeat Valencia and clinch at least a tie for the school's first Foothill League title since joining the competitive football loop in 1992. He rushed for two touchdowns and passed for a third as Saugus won its first league title since 1983 when they were members of the Golden League. So far this season the double-threat from the Santa Clarita Valley has 1,227 yards passing with 10 TDs and 1,183 yards rushing with 16 trips to paydirt.

For this week's girls honoree, we take our second trip to Orange County where we honor a cheerful, humble young woman who talked mostly "team rather than "me. Of two things she has in common with several previous award winners is she can spike volleyballs!  

By Harold Abend, Special to CalHiSports.com

Note: Remember, we are looking for those student-athletes who had a standout performance in their sport from the previous week, but we also are looking for a balance between athletic achievement, academic work in the classroom, community service or overcoming adversity. Send nominations to mark@studentsports.com.

Kylie Hargreaves has two things in common with previous Girls State Athlete of the Week volleyball winners Kristina Graven of ESPNRISE High School Volleyball FAB 50 No. 1 Archbishop Mitty (San Jose), Lauren Corp of Orange Lutheran (Orange), Krista Vansant of Redlands East Valley and Kendall Polan of the La Costa Canyon (Carlsbad) team Kylie and her Eagles teammates knocked out of the FAB 50 top spot with a 2-1 (25-21, 15-25, 25-21) victory Nov. 1 in the finals of the Redondo Power Classic.

	ESPN RISE
	Kylie Hargreaves.

All four are dominant players and team leaders.

The other thing she has in common with them, besides competing in league against Corp, and knowing her as well as Vansant, whose father Robert Vansant is friends with her dad Guy Hargreaves, is Kylie is not a one-girl team.

In fact, in order to be where the Eagles have risen to, an eight spot jump to No. 15 in this week's FAB 50, takes more than one player to step up to the net.

Nowhere was that more apparent than at the Redondo Classic.

The power and depth of a surging, healthy Santa Margarita team was felt by La Costa Canyon, as well as current FAB 50 No. 27 Thousand Oaks, whom the Eagles defeated 3-2 (25-23, 25-21, 17-25, 22-25, 15-7) in the semifinals.

For her efforts, 5-foot-10 junior outside hitter Hargreaves was named tourney MVP, with teammates Natalie Hamill and Kenna Crouse joining her on the all-tournament team.

We aked her coach why Hargreaves was chosen MVP.

"Kylie is a big part of our team chemistry," Eagles Coach Crissy Chapman-Uhrig told CalHiSports.com. "Out of six rotations we have, Kylie and my setter Natalie are the only two players to play every rotation and that says a lot about her play. Plus, she's been dominant all season against top competition including everyone at Redondo."

The response by Chapman-Uhrig was to quesitons as why her player was MVP at Redondo and deserving of major awards, when the coach keeps no statistics.

"When I played, I got a lot of awards and sometimes it never made sense to me, because I grew up playing volleyball as a team sport," said Chapman-Uhrig, who was raised in Illinois and played volleyball of the University of Illinois before a stint with the US Pro Team based in Chicago.

"I don't keep any stats and never have. Through the years I'm trying to foster a team concept, and this year is a perfect example. We have a new set of stars every week. Plus the injuries haven't helped," said a very busy coach, mother and business partner.

Chapman-Uhrig, the Eagles' coach for four years, was the dean of students and a health and fitness teacher at Santa Margarita Catholic before going off on maternity leave for her 15-month-old son. She's currently seven-and-a-half months pregnant again with husband Jeff Uhrig, the Eagles' boys coach and her partner in a custom home business.

After graduating eight seniors and being plagued by injuries all season, the fact Hargreaves and her team are ranked in the FAB 50 is amazing.

"It's so crazy. After losing eight seniors nobody expected much from us," Chapman-Uhrig said. "Then with the injuries."

No injury was more of a blow than when Hargreaves missed 10 days after she got knocked unconscious in a second-round match at the Durango Tournament in Las Vegas in a 1-2 loss to Archbishop Mitty.

After Kylie went out at Durango, the Eagles (22-7) went 2-2 the remainder of the Classic.  They lost 1-2 to FAB 50 No. 7 Mira Costa (Manhattan Beach) and 1-2 to Kamehameha of Honolulu. They did beat last year's CIF Div. I state champion Lakewood 2-0, and pinned a 2-1 loss on El Dorado of Placentia.

Before Hargreaves return the Eagles suffered a 3-0 loss to Lakewood before competing in the Capistrano Valley Tournament and beginning Trinity League play. They won the league and are now in the CIF Southern Section Div. IAA playoffs.

Since she's been back, the team is 17-2 with losses only to Laguna Beach and a lone league loss, 1-3 to FAB 50 No. 29 Orange Lutheran and Corp, whom they split with on the season after posting a 3-0 victory.  

Last week in the league-clinching 3-1 victory over Mater Dei (Santa Ana), Hargreaves was "dominant at the net and instrumental in the victory, according to Chapman-Uhrig.

After a first-round bye, the Eagles open playoff competition tonight as the second-seed in Div. IAA, and host Royal of Simi Valley, a 3-2 opening-round winner over Dana Hills of Dana Point.

"Right now the team goal and focus is getting to the CIF (Div. IAA section) finals and that will take a super effort from the whole team," Hargreaves told CalHiSports.com.

"We have such a balance up front on this team. It's really nice having an equal team," Kylie said. "We have no idea who's getting the kill. Our setter sets everyone."

That setter would be senior Hamill, who next fall will be setting at Point Loma Nazarene University where she has earned a scholarship.

Another girl who provides size and power at the net is 6-foot-2 senior middle blocker Crouse, who is headed to Loyola-Marymount. "Kenna's awesome," said Hargreaves.

Senior outside hitter, 5-10 Ellie Wiekamp, is also headed for college volleyball. She'll study and play at UC San Diego.

Rounding out the D1 college players for the Eagles is senior libero Brenna Cygan. She is going up the road to Cal State Fullerton next fall.